From The Three Musketeers to the "Testicle Festival"

The "Duckathlon" pushes back against NYC's anti-food tyranny

Baylen Linnekin | June 11, 2008

(Page 3 of 3)

Still, the vigilance of Daguin, her staff, and Duckathlon participants is as important as it is admirable.

“In a small little way,” Daguin says, “I hope it’s paving the way to more freedom.”

It is. She is. While groups like the New York State Restaurant Association have rightly challenged New York City bans in court, Daguin brings together the people who love to buy, sell, cook, and eat great food.

At best, it’s a budding movement. At worst, it’s still a lot of fun. And if nothing else, Daguin has again reminded her allies and foes alike that D’Artagnan is willing to occupy the bastion simply to ensure the continued promise of a good meal.

Full disclosure: After writing a few thousand kind words about foie gras in a magazine piece last year, the nice folks at D’Artagnan first sent me an enthusiastic email, and followed that up by sending me the occasional free shipment of foie gras and other foods. I happily devour each one.

Comments

|6.11.08 @ 5:22PM|#

There is probably no better place in America to hold an event celebrating and defending haute cuisine

Las Vegas. Arguably on par if not better than NYC and you don't have to bribe a city official to get a table.

Oh and I'm not feeling this competition. How does this cross between Fear Factor and Survivor promote Haute cuisine exactly?

Rhywun|6.11.08 @ 5:26PM|#

The title almost scared me off, but I'm glad I read the article anyway... I can assure you that it's not just gastronomes who are resenting all this intrusion into our lives. The city council--stuffed with professional activist/politicians--is widely regarded as out of control, and out of touch, by almost everybody.

|6.11.08 @ 5:30PM|#

The Testicle Festival -- or "Testy Festy" as it's known in these parts -- is a giant beer-and-tits-and-bull-ball party about 20 miles down the road from where I live.
Yummy bull testicles. Seriously. Good stuff.
And plenty of chicks who will suck your dick for free.
www.testyfesty.com.

|6.11.08 @ 5:35PM|#

So, Baylen Linnekin ...
They've blatantly ripped off our name. The original "Testical Festival" is near Clinton, Montana.
I think you should get your city ass out here and cover it.

|6.11.08 @ 6:47PM|#

For me, the calorie postings go down with the smoking-in-bars ban: things I am philosophically absolutely opposed to, but which I am nonetheless thoroughly enjoying the benefits of.

Look, I don't like government intervention at all, but I have to say this one's pretty tame. The targeted restaurants have portions that are rigorously controlled; therefore it's pretty easy to test everything once and extrapolate the calorie content to all future servings. The postings certainly don't look like they were real tough to put up.

Furthermore, though I am actually a person who has been known to look up nutritional facts on, say, Chipotle or McDonalds online from time to time, the postings have made me change my order several times, and have helped me reign in my eating habits.

Again, philosophically I'm against it, but it's hard for me to get too worked up over it when I like the results so much.

|6.11.08 @ 6:48PM|#

The city council--stuffed with professional activist/politicians--is widely regarded as out of control, and out of touch, by almost everybody.

I need to hang out with your friends Rhywun. I don't know a single person (other than me) who thinks this.

|6.11.08 @ 6:49PM|#

Warren,

Sure, the best places in Vegas are on par with the best in NY, but c'mon, there's nowhere near the variety of great eating options.

My Vegas faves are Alize and Craftsteak. Of course, the latter is available in NY anyway.

Anonymoose.|6.11.08 @ 8:29PM|#

There is probably no better place in America to hold an event celebrating and defending haute cuisine-and the chefs who cook it-than in New York City. The city is home to many of the best restaurants in the country.

Chicago would be better, having a far better selection of high-quality restaurants.

The Bearded Hobbit|6.11.08 @ 8:47PM|#

.. so what city has the best restaraunts that I don't have to wear a tie in??

.. Hobbit

The Bearded Hobbit|6.11.08 @ 8:48PM|#

.. crap, "restaurants" ..

.. sheesh,

.. Blushing Hobbit

|6.11.08 @ 10:10PM|#

In NYC at least, the millions of residents who can't afford to eat in its haute cuisine restaurants don't have to resort to food from chain eateries. They also have the option of eating great food in many inexpensive restaurants of all kinds. I've had great Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Mexican food in NY that was also cheap. They may have to leave Manhattan to find it, though.

Nigel Watt|6.12.08 @ 10:08AM|#

In NYC at least, the millions of residents who can't afford to eat in its haute cuisine restaurants don't have to resort to food from chain eateries. They also have the option of eating great food in many inexpensive restaurants of all kinds. I've had great Chinese, Thai, Indian, and Mexican food in NY that was also cheap. They may have to leave Manhattan to find it, though.

That's not exclusive to New York City at all. I've had similar experiences in Ithaca, NY and Greenville, SC, neither exactly a mecca of culture.

Bob|6.12.08 @ 11:10AM|#

What exactly is the problem with requiring vendors to provide relevant product information to consumers? Isn't that the kind of market transparency that you libertarians are supposedly in favor of? Nobody is telling anyone what to order, or preventing anyone from ordering whatever they like; the city is simply forcing restaurants to provide information relevant to the decision. And the fact that it's available elsewhere cuts both ways-- if the information is already public, why not make it more readily accessible?